Research Scientist Jobs in Colorado
Research Scientist jobs in Colorado are in strong demand, concentrated in aerospace and defense, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and environmental sciences across the Denver metro, Boulder, and Colorado Springs. Employers like Lockheed Martin, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Pfizer's Colorado operations maintain a consistent presence and hire across seniority levels from early-career researchers to principal scientists. The most sought-after specialties in the state include materials science, computational biology, and climate and energy research. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 18+ Research Scientist jobs
Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century's most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril's family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.
ABOUT THE TEAM
Anduril's Senior Research Scientists excel at developing state-of-the art algorithms and software that solve scientific problems with real-world applications. Working in small innovative teams, our research scientists build solutions that make a difference. Our research endeavors don't end once we've written a journal or conference paper describing our technology; rather, our work is complete when our technology has been deployed in mission-critical systems and our customers within government and industry are successful. As science fiction writer Arthur Clarke wrote, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Therefore, Anduril is seeking talented "magicians" to join in our common struggle of expanding the boundary of what's possible.
WHAT YOU WILL DO:
- Contribute to the direction of a talented small team with your expertise and ideas;
- Create mathematically principled solutions to some of the world's most challenging information science problems;
- Prototype state-of-the-art algorithms in an agile development environment;
- Implement high-performance software spanning the spectrum from tactical systems to web applications;
- Use high-fidelity modeling and simulation environments, innovative analysis tools, and flexible compute clusters to quantify the benefit of our technology;
- Engage with our customers, to ensure successful outcomes for their mission-critical needs;
- Help your colleagues and customers understand what you're doing and why.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- A Senior Research Scientist at Anduril should possess an M.S. or Ph.D. in Applied or Computational Mathematics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Controls and Dynamical Systems, Aerospace Engineering, Statistics and Probability, or a related field.
- A Senior Research Scientist should have a record of academic excellence, including demonstrated experience in most of the following areas:
- Applied Mathematics: differential equations, linear algebra, numerical analysis, and continuous or discrete optimization;
- Engineering: controls, estimation theory, digital signal processing, and machine learning;
- Scientific Computing: software design, algorithm implementation, and software analysis, testing, and optimization;
- Probability: statistics and random processes.
- A Senior Research Scientist should have effective written and verbal communication skills, with the demonstrated ability to convey salient details about advanced technology in a compelling manner to both experts and non-experts alike.
- Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Top Secret SCI security clearance
We request transcripts as part of the early application process to understand your academic background and how your coursework supports the skills deemed critical for the role. Transcripts help us assess your technical and analytical abilities, complementing our interview process in which we also evaluate practical experience and cultural fit. If you choose not to share your transcripts, you will need to provide detailed information regarding your academic performance in relevant courses, including projects and coursework specifics, to ensure we evaluate your academic accomplishments properly. If you do provide academic transcripts, feel free to redact non-technical information (e.g., student ID, dates, non-technical coursework, etc.). Unofficial transcripts obtained online acceptable for this assessment.
The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including:
Benefits
At Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you're supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next. For more information, Explore Our Benefits.
Protecting Yourself from Recruitment Scams
Anduril is committed to maintaining the integrity of our Talent acquisition process and the security of our candidates. We've observed a rise in sophisticated phishing and fraudulent schemes where individuals impersonate Anduril representatives, luring job seekers with false interviews or job offers. These scammers often attempt to extract payment or sensitive personal information.
To ensure your safety and help you navigate your job search with confidence, please keep the following critical points in mind:
No Financial Requests: Anduril will never solicit payment or demand personal financial details (such as banking information, credit card numbers, or social security numbers) at any stage of our hiring process. Our legitimate recruitment is entirely free for candidates.
- Please always verify communications:
- Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @anduril.com address.
- Via Agency Partner: If contacted by a recruiting agency for an Anduril role, their email will clearly identify their agency. If you suspect any suspicious activity, please verify the agency's authenticity by reaching out to contact@anduril.com.
Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Outreach: If you receive any communication that appears suspicious, contains grammatical errors, or makes unusual requests, do not engage. Always confirm the sender's email domain is @anduril.com before providing any personal information or clicking on links.
What to Do If You Suspect Fraud: Should you encounter any questionable or fraudulent outreach claiming to be from Anduril, please report it immediately to contact@anduril.com. Your proactive caution is invaluable in protecting your personal information and upholding the security and trustworthiness of our recruitment efforts.
Data Privacy
To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/.
By submitting your application, you consent to Anduril Industries using a third-party service provider to conduct pre-employment risk, integrity, and due diligence screening and assessing potential risks as part of your application process. This third-party service provider provides risk-intelligence services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public-record information, and other lawful open-source or commercial data sources. This third-party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security.
Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century's most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril's family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.
ABOUT THE TEAM
Anduril's Senior Research Scientists excel at developing state-of-the art algorithms and software that solve scientific problems with real-world applications. Working in small innovative teams, our research scientists build solutions that make a difference. Our research endeavors don't end once we've written a journal or conference paper describing our technology; rather, our work is complete when our technology has been deployed in mission-critical systems and our customers within government and industry are successful. As science fiction writer Arthur Clarke wrote, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Therefore, Anduril is seeking talented "magicians" to join in our common struggle of expanding the boundary of what's possible.
WHAT YOU WILL DO:
- Contribute to the direction of a talented small team with your expertise and ideas;
- Create mathematically principled solutions to some of the world's most challenging information science problems;
- Prototype state-of-the-art algorithms in an agile development environment;
- Implement high-performance software spanning the spectrum from tactical systems to web applications;
- Use high-fidelity modeling and simulation environments, innovative analysis tools, and flexible compute clusters to quantify the benefit of our technology;
- Engage with our customers, to ensure successful outcomes for their mission-critical needs;
- Help your colleagues and customers understand what you're doing and why.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- A Senior Research Scientist at Anduril should possess an M.S. or Ph.D. in Applied or Computational Mathematics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Controls and Dynamical Systems, Aerospace Engineering, Statistics and Probability, or a related field.
- A Senior Research Scientist should have a record of academic excellence, including demonstrated experience in most of the following areas:
- Applied Mathematics: differential equations, linear algebra, numerical analysis, and continuous or discrete optimization;
- Engineering: controls, estimation theory, digital signal processing, and machine learning;
- Scientific Computing: software design, algorithm implementation, and software analysis, testing, and optimization;
- Probability: statistics and random processes.
- A Senior Research Scientist should have effective written and verbal communication skills, with the demonstrated ability to convey salient details about advanced technology in a compelling manner to both experts and non-experts alike.
- Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Top Secret SCI security clearance
We request transcripts as part of the early application process to understand your academic background and how your coursework supports the skills deemed critical for the role. Transcripts help us assess your technical and analytical abilities, complementing our interview process in which we also evaluate practical experience and cultural fit. If you choose not to share your transcripts, you will need to provide detailed information regarding your academic performance in relevant courses, including projects and coursework specifics, to ensure we evaluate your academic accomplishments properly. If you do provide academic transcripts, feel free to redact non-technical information (e.g., student ID, dates, non-technical coursework, etc.). Unofficial transcripts obtained online acceptable for this assessment.
The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including:
Benefits
At Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you're supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next. For more information, Explore Our Benefits.
Protecting Yourself from Recruitment Scams
Anduril is committed to maintaining the integrity of our Talent acquisition process and the security of our candidates. We've observed a rise in sophisticated phishing and fraudulent schemes where individuals impersonate Anduril representatives, luring job seekers with false interviews or job offers. These scammers often attempt to extract payment or sensitive personal information.
To ensure your safety and help you navigate your job search with confidence, please keep the following critical points in mind:
No Financial Requests: Anduril will never solicit payment or demand personal financial details (such as banking information, credit card numbers, or social security numbers) at any stage of our hiring process. Our legitimate recruitment is entirely free for candidates.
- Please always verify communications:
- Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @anduril.com address.
- Via Agency Partner: If contacted by a recruiting agency for an Anduril role, their email will clearly identify their agency. If you suspect any suspicious activity, please verify the agency's authenticity by reaching out to contact@anduril.com.
Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Outreach: If you receive any communication that appears suspicious, contains grammatical errors, or makes unusual requests, do not engage. Always confirm the sender's email domain is @anduril.com before providing any personal information or clicking on links.
What to Do If You Suspect Fraud: Should you encounter any questionable or fraudulent outreach claiming to be from Anduril, please report it immediately to contact@anduril.com. Your proactive caution is invaluable in protecting your personal information and upholding the security and trustworthiness of our recruitment efforts.
Data Privacy
To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/.
By submitting your application, you consent to Anduril Industries using a third-party service provider to conduct pre-employment risk, integrity, and due diligence screening and assessing potential risks as part of your application process. This third-party service provider provides risk-intelligence services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public-record information, and other lawful open-source or commercial data sources. This third-party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security.
See All 18 Research Scientist Jobs in Colorado
Find roles in Colorado that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Research Scientist JobsResearch Scientist Jobs by City in Colorado
Where Colorado roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Research Scientist Job Market in Colorado
A snapshot from current Colorado openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
What Colorado Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in research scientist jobs across Colorado.
- PhD in a relevant scientific discipline such as biology, chemistry, or physics
- Demonstrated research experience through peer-reviewed publications or funded projects
- Proficiency with laboratory techniques, data analysis software, or scientific computing tools
- Ability to obtain or maintain security clearance for defense and government contractor roles
- Experience designing experiments, interpreting results, and presenting findings to stakeholders
- Strong written communication skills for grant writing, reporting, and cross-functional collaboration
Research Scientist Jobs in Colorado: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a research scientist in Colorado?
Research scientists in Colorado typically need at minimum a master's degree, with most positions at national labs, aerospace contractors, and biotechnology companies requiring a PhD in a relevant field. Unlike nursing or engineering, there is no state-issued license for research scientists in Colorado. Hiring paths run through university research programs, federal lab affiliates like NREL and NOAA, and Colorado's growing biotech corridor, where postdoctoral experience or a strong publication record is the most common differentiator.
Which companies hire research scientists in Colorado?
Employers hiring research scientists in Colorado right now include University of Colorado, Anduril, and Google, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Colorado's concentration of federal laboratories, aerospace primes, and biotech firms means consistent demand across both government-sponsored and commercial research environments.
Which Colorado cities have the most research scientist jobs?
The Colorado cities with the most research scientist openings are Boulder, Aurora, and Broomfield. The Denver metro anchors demand through its aerospace, energy, and healthcare industries, Boulder draws significant volume from federal research institutions and university spinouts, and Colorado Springs contributes roles tied to defense and space systems contractors based at and around Peterson Space Force Base.
Are there remote research scientist jobs in Colorado?
Yes, but they're less common than in purely desk-based fields, since many research scientist roles require lab access, specialized equipment, or secure facilities. About 50% of research scientist openings tied to Colorado are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, with remote options most available in computational, data-heavy, or policy-facing research roles that do not depend on physical laboratory work.
How can I get hired as a research scientist in Colorado with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is a research assistant or associate scientist role, which Colorado employers at institutions like the University of Colorado system, Colorado State University, and NREL regularly post for candidates with a bachelor's or master's degree and lab coursework. Pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship at a Colorado federal lab or research university is the standard bridge into full scientist roles. Candidates from adjacent positions such as lab technician, research analyst, or clinical research coordinator frequently transition into junior research scientist openings, particularly in Colorado's biotech and environmental sectors.
Where can I find and apply to research scientist jobs in Colorado?
You can find and apply to research scientist jobs in Colorado on Migrate Mate, which lists current Colorado openings across industries and experience levels. Find the roles that fit your background and apply directly from the listing.
See All 18 Research Scientist Jobs in Colorado
Find roles in Colorado that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Research Scientist Jobs